Q&A: BXB LOVE Brings In A New Era of Edge with 'consistently inconsistent'
INHERENTLY AND INEXORABLY, growth bears the unexpected. Contradictingly between the prosaic interlude of youth and adulthood, lies an abyss, where thoughts play back in loops, impulses lead to self-questioning, and the incomprehensible turbulence of our own emotions mean that no moment is truly the same. BXB LOVE captures the ups and downs and the ins and outs of the only connecting force between these moments - inconsistency itself. Using art and language as a guide map to the landscape of their own psyche, BXB LOVE’s newest mixtape consistently inconsistent reiterates the power of music as transcendence, as vulnerability, as a reminder that the act of being is fluid, that who we are is ever-changing and that it all is a beautiful thing.
consistently inconsistent along with LOVE’s artistry, finds its core in a framework of complete fluidity. Their genre-bending production is furthered by the poetry of their lyricism, crafting sonic universes and absolving fixed barriers of expectation and restriction. Throughout nine tracks, BXB LOVE’s mixtape takes us on a journey, where we can find ourselves free-falling into open spaces, diving into crevasses of the unknown, digging apart questions of who we are, and finally, finding some kind of solace in the pure fact that maybe we’ll never know a thing. Each song finds its tie to some part of our own, grasping the thin strings that connect each facet of our existence to the next. Pulling apart the prescribed understanding of control and learning as equilibrium, Consistently Inconsistent does more than occupy silence, instead, intimately draws a path towards a comfort with self, experience and connection.
Read on for a deep dive into BXB LOVE’s creative processes, experience and artistry.
LUNA: Firstly, I’d like to say, it is a rarity to find music like yours with such a layeredness to it, there’s this wonderful quality to it that is both jolting and really calming. Could you introduce us a little to your artistry?
BXB LOVE: I look at art and language as a map to our personal inner worlds. We perceive what is presented to us as similar, relatable, triggering or resonant to our own experiences. With anything in life, the way things are perceived and processed will be different for each person and also different at every moment of every day. What I’ve come to realize in the past year is that, regardless of the intentions behind any decision I make, they will be received in a myriad of different ways that I have no control over. At this stage, my only goal is to share my art roadmaps based on my life and experience, and let those who choose to receive these messages, run with them and make them into something of their own. With this said, anything I share in this interview is an invitation into where I am and was in my experience with these songs and their creative processes. This is a projection of my reality and I hope readers will take this music and translate it into their own languages, experience and worlds.
LUNA: Could you explain to me the idea behind 'consistently inconsistent' as a title and as a body of work?
BXB LOVE: For me, the title of a song or body of work provides some sort of context or framework within which the art exists. It signals to the receiver of the transmission that “this is the (intended) little space within which this piece exists,” or “this is the key to unlock the door you’re about to enter.”
When I chose consistently inconsistent, I wanted to depict or express the polarity and contradicting nature that is being human; experiencing life and its infinite potentials. Nothing in this plane of existence is stagnant. Nothing stays the same. Everything is continuously and endlessly changing. As a young person, it feels like this gets sort of put into hyperdrive. Emotions are extreme. Experiences feel like life and death. And everything is moving so quickly. You are expected to be “grown up”, but also not quite treated as an adult.
To make decisions about a future that won’t even exist by the time you get there. With the rate of change being experienced both internally and externally, you will be a completely different person than you are now, by the time you reach the goals you're currently working toward. Will that future version of you want what you get when you get there? The one thing you can count on as consistent in this life, is its inconsistency.
LUNA: Your mixtape explores the multiplicity of growth, but also paradoxically, stagnancy. This is such a potent experience for us twenty-somethings. What personal experiences have you incorporated into or used to inspire the conceptual grounding?
BXB LOVE: I’m honestly so grateful to be where I am right now artistically. Anything I create is of course expressed through the lens of my experience and understanding, that’s all I truly know. So the concept of this body of reflection is really just based on what I’ve come to understand as, of, and from, myself. I am no one way, no one being, and I now know “who i am” by accepting that I am not one thing. Each song, in its own way, explores a moment or level of that realization. The project as a whole contains a variety of “genres,” ideas, themes, emotions, experiences. It’s inconsistent. That’s something that many people in the industry expressed may be a hindrance to my public reception as an artist. I was told that it would be hard to “place” me within the industry, because the sound wasn’t consistent and that curators or listeners wouldn’t know where to put me. I guess that’s kinda the point. We don’t fit into boxes. We created boxes to understand and explain things, and now we hold ourselves hostage to them. They are frameworks, not truths. I’m interested in exploring truths, which means diving into the messy, unorganized, confusing, beautiful nature of being and reflecting that back in ways that are honest to me. I’m interested in being consistently inconsistent. I’m here to experience the contradictions that are life and to relay back my findings within those experiences.
LUNA: Does your process align with this? What is your process as an artist? Has this shifted in the last year?
BXB LOVE: I always struggle with questions like this because part of me feels like there is no concrete process. But I guess, when you really distill it, I show up in creative space as I show up in life.
I make decisions, see how they feel, and follow the feelings that resonate with what I'm interested in experiencing or expressing in that moment. It's all simple choices that can be supplemented with rituals, routines, tools and skills. If you have an intention, and consistently make decisions that align with that intention, you will reach your destination eventually. The key is that you have to truly believe it or you won’t have the dedication to continuously and consciously make aligning choices. It will be too easy to be swayed to some shiny thing in your peripheral when the going gets tough or the thing doesn’t work out on the first try.
So I make create decisions – on melodies, lyrics, instrumentation, artistic mediums, outfits, color pallets, etc – aligned with my intention, what I’m interested in experiencing or expressing, bouncing around until I hit something that makes me go “Aha!”. When I hit that golden thread, I follow it in a stream of consciousness until I reach the end, which is usually a finished song, artwork, story, visual...
LUNA: “Matrix” explores the struggle of finding ease of existence, a desire to be more, a desire for fulfillment. There's a gentleness but also urgency. How do you approach these inner conflicts in your personal journey?
BXB LOVE: I had spent a lot of my young adult life wishing myself away. I wanted things to be different than they were, but was not prepared to make the choices necessary to make my way down a new and untravelled path. I was comfortable in my known discomfort, because it was familiar and I knew what to expect for the most part. It was a habit. Then came a point, about 2 years ago, where I realized, i am wishing for everything about myself and my life to be different, not realizing that it's MY LIFE, and all I really need to do is make choices that will result in different outcomes. I need to consciously live my life -- “I just wanna live my life, I don't want to fuss and fight it.” I was so busy being a victim to my life, passively fighting it and hating it, without actually taking responsibility for it or doing anything about it.
LUNA: Why did you think it was significant to explore these themes?
BXB LOVE: So the song is my realization that life isn’t something happening to me, it is something happening from me, because of me. Every choice I make leads me to the things I experience next. Every belief I hold paints the picture of how I understand and show up to my experience and relationships, in my life. What am I choosing to believe, perpetuate, and project? What am I creating for myself and why?
LUNA: What message did you want your listeners to pull?
BXB LOVE: I hope to open up a line of exploration for those who listen to the music. To empower them in their beliefs, choices, and lives. The creation of their personal realities and our shared one. Everything we take in and consume, becomes us. Becomes our thoughts, which become our realities. What are you turning into your truth and why? Is it serving you and your best interest? Cause it's definitely serving someone, and if it's not serving you and your greatest good, I think it's worth questioning.
LUNA: “IGNORANCE Song” draws from a more aggressive, powerful punk rock origin. What inspired both the concept and production and style of this song?
BXB LOVE: This song holds a special place in my heart. It's actually the catalyst for the whole artistic exploration that became BXB LOVE. It was written by me and a friend from college named D Phelps, in my bedroom in the Valley on an LA fall day. It was our first time creating together, and we both went into it with a super open mind, excited to just mess around and see what came out of us.
LUNA: What was your process for this song? Do the two ideas intertwine- the idea and the creation?
BXB LOVE: We had been listening to a bunch of 80s female and female fronted rock bands, and wanted to try pulling some of the energy. I remember disclaiming to him before sharing the chorus idea that it was pretty “different” from what people were used to hearing from me, and proceeded to sort of screech sing this chorus idea. To my surprise, he really fucked with it! And from there we were off to the races. I’m grateful that something told me to share the idea, and that he cultivated a space/energy in which i felt comfortable enough to share. I chose to share it despite my discomfort and nerves. And the path that opened up from that decision has been one that I am very grateful to be traveling.
LUNA: “Losers” is an anthem for outsiders. What advice would you give to those feeling like they are floating in their space, no real place for them in the masses? Is there anything you wish you knew when you were younger?
BXB LOVE: I would say to my younger self, “you are not alone in your experience. Everyone feels like they are outside something. Boxes are not meant to fit everyone. That's why they exist. A space that is meant to fit everyone is boxless.” I would also say, “ you won't feel any happier, more included, or accepted if you edit yourself to fit in. When you show up as the most you version of you, with unconditional love and acceptance of that being, those who are prepared to accept you will gravitate towards you. You came here to experience life as YOU.
From where I stand and what I've experienced, we are all outsiders. We are all born without bounds, truths, projections. “Inside” and “outside” don't really exist, but we created them as parameters to then assign and process our lives, experiences, and relationships and then took them all a little too literally. Often, these constructs are created long before we were born, they differ depending on culture, and are passed on to us based on the external circumstance we are born into. The inside is a box and in the box there are certain expectations and parameters that dictate how we are to be, how we are to present, in order to fit inside. To be inside, means to fit in and often, that fitting into the box requires some for of self distortion, mutation, and mutilation. The box doesnt want all of you. It wants aspects of you that fit the narrative that exists within the box.
LUNA: “VENUS IN GEMINI” has a sound that is so transcendental. It is alleviating and comforting. What has been the role of music for you in your twenties? Has this shifted since you were younger?
BXB LOVE: The role of music has really shifted for me in my 20s, going from a lover, hobbyist, and dreamer, to a student, to a professional, and now back to what feels like a kid simply playing from a place of love and joy. Full circle, ain't that the way it always goes. In the space I'm in now, music exists as a portal to the worlds that I'm interested in exploring, healing, or calling in. As I said, everything we ingest, both physical and intangible, becomes us and our reality. On the flip side of this means that everything we expel fertilizes what we are going to then ingest in the future. What I say in my music today, impacts the world we wake up in tomorrow, which impacts the music I make tomorrow, and the cycle goes on. The words and ideas I'm transmuting to those who receive the music, is then processed through their personal machine, which has been formed by everything they’ve ever experienced or received up until that point. The processing of my words through their system then impacts the energy they expel out into their reality. It colors the sort of world they are choosing, consciously or subconsciously to create. And so, while I am in a state of play, curiosity and exploration in my creative expression, I am also full of care and intention as to what I am perpetuating through my artistry. I understand how powerful each and every one of us is. When we can align in our energy and intention, oh shit, imagine the things we can create and achieve.
LUNA: “ACTING UP” is so infectious in its energy, as is What You Want? Both have an underlying strength to them. What emotions and thoughts were you aiming to channel through this and what role do you hope these songs play for your audience?
BXB LOVE: “ACTING UP” reflects my feelings of dissatisfaction, and honestly, my rage towards the overarching constructs and ideologies that are foundational to the way our modern society is being run. To the people and systems in positions of power who are grossly failing human kind. To the constructs we continue to perpetuate that are in service of upholding a standard that really only serves a very small few. And there are of course intersection or privilege and oppression. But the current paradigm works in a way that it keeps enough people comfortable enough, meeting them at what's really the bare minimum, leaving room for them to tirelessly reach and work for that next level that will always be just out of reach, so that they are distracted by an external sense of purpose and in their striving dont have the energy or capacity to understand or be compassionate towards the suffering of all those being left much farther behind. Resulting in things never really changing. I don't think we have ever seen in a time where so many of us were safe enough or felt empowered to voice our disdain for “the way things are,” and so this song is my signal to all those who feel the itch that something is not right here. Who want to hold those in positions of power accountable to the responsibilities that comes with that power.
“WHAT YOU WANT?” is embedded with the energy of desire. What do you want? Do you know? And what would you do with it if it fell in your lap today? I think this wanting is part of what allows for the systems mentioned above to stay in tact, cause we are all so busy chasing after these things we’ve come to believe we want and need, we don't have the time or energy to look at the spaces within ourselves we are attempting to fill with material wealth, status, and external ideas of success. We give away our autonomy, sovereignty, and truths in the hopes of “getting things” thinking that those things will fulfill our soul's desire to realize the truths that we have just given away.
LUNA: “Stratosphere” is such a beautiful moment in the mixtape, kind of a moment of stillness, tranquility, sensual peace. The track is so layered, in a way that is reflective of our inherent complexities. How do you maintain groundedness as an artist and as a person, within the chaos of being human?
BXB LOVE: Wow, beautiful question. For me, the key has been building practices that remind and enable me to come back to groundedness as a human being. To foster relationships that support my truest most vulnerable forms and remind me of my aliveness, as talked about in Stratosphere. That way, I am able to dive into and experience the chaos of the human experience, as a conscious choice. And then I’m able to choose when I'm ready to come back down from the chaos and recenter. I’m grateful to have found my way to these practices and relationships -- which all have supported my journey to my current state of being -- before my career created a space where myself and my art are engaging and communicating with huge masses of people. I don't think the me I was 2 years ago would have been able to handle that in a healthy way.
LUNA: “Ice Tea” captures a fast paced movement; it sent chills down my spine, I love it! Can you elaborate on this track and your choices both conceptually and artistically?
BXB LOVE: Thank you! I love that it’s resonating for you. This song is my little oasis in the fast paced hustle and bustle that is modern life. It’s my refuge from the hamster wheel of young adult hood, and I wanted the energy of it to reflect that juxtaposition of the anxiety that can come with the sheer speed of life and the flow that follows when you find your own pace or rhythm. Your own truth.
LUNA: Did your experiences inspire the track?
BXB LOVE: On the surface, this track is about being able to do whatever the fuck you want in and with your life. Which, again, is true on the surface, but not practiced in our shared reality. Everyone has an idea or expectation of who you should be and how you should show up. I started looking around at the world and realizing I didn’t necessarily want the lives of anyone who was telling me what to do or who to be. So why would I take their truth in relation to the choices I “should” make and the life I should lead, over my own truths? It’s so easy to worry your time away, making choices and then judging them based on everyone else’s parameters. For what?
LUNA: Have you found a way, in your twenties, to find solace in the speed and constant movement of so many things?
BXB LOVE: I’ve been able to find solace through the creation and consistent practice of daily rituals – routines – that empower me, align with the creation of the life I am interested in experiencing, and remind me of my aliveness. Also through the cultivation of relationships that support me along my path. It can be easy to feel like we are in this alone, but having love-filled and supportive spaces is really a game changer.
LUNA: You have a wonderful grasp of language! How do you approach your lyricism? Where do you source your inspiration?
BXB LOVE: Thank you! I really appreciate this. I find inspiration all over the place! Misheard words picked up in passing conversations between strangers on the street. Podcasts, movies, Instagram captions, books, life experiences. My approach to lyrics is typically a stream of conscious. Usually a melodic idea comes to me first and the lyrics sort of imprint themselves into the sounds of the melody.
LUNA: The lines 'like lemon on a Sugar Cube' are so beautiful. How did you come up with this, and what inspired the title?
BXB LOVE: I wanted to depict my understanding of Spirit, “God,” the Universe through sense based and really vivid imagery, because to me, that's what that energy is! It’s the vicral, vivid, all encompassing lived experiences that we go through. Its a connection to the energy that allows us to be here on this earth in human bodies experiencing consciousness. Like a breathtaking sunset over the ocean or the confusing but pleasant sweet and sour rush of lemon and sugar, which also makes me think of an orgasm for some reason. Tension and release at the same time. Electric. Transcendent. Not of any one place or time. Being swept away in pure experience. I believe we are here to experience all that life is, “the good, and and the ugly,” and I’ve never really connected with religious ideas that deny us of our human experiences. So I wanted to explore that in this song. I’m honestly not sure how that line came to me, but I’m grateful it did. And it felt so yummy that I couldn't not allude to it in the title.
LUNA: Did you find that writing and creating this mixtape allowed you to learn more about yourself? I know I asked you what role your life played in the genesis and process of these tracks. On the flip side, what role did the mixtape play in your life, during and after its creation?
BXB LOVE: The process of creating and sharing this introductory project has been hugely transformative and eye opening. It all happened at a time of deep and pretty turbulent shifts in my personal and spiritual life, so having that outlet to explore, process, and distill what I was learning, feeling, and experiencing was a god send. It gave me a channel through which to explore these ideas and concepts from a more birds eye view, cause it can be so easy to get swept up in the visceral drama that is your personal experience.
LUNA: Was this mixtape a significant step for you?
BXB LOVE: This mixtape is definitely a significant moment for me! It's a broader introduction of myself and the things I care about, to the external world. It’s a window into the things I think about and believe. To me, it's a portal into the future, the past, and one iteration of the present.
LUNA: Are there any specific tracks that you hold particularly dear to you?
BXB LOVE: The “IGNORANCE SONG” was definitely the catalyst that opened my eyes to all the things I could do, say, and explore in my music. Up until then I had been playing it pretty safely within the box I had subconsciously created for myself. I ended up finding I was pretty unhappy and confused, even as people were drawn towards my music and I reached different milestones and achievements. Those showing up for me were seeing a very specific image of me that I had painted with a predefined set of brushes and stroked, not realizing that I was super zoomed in on only a very small part of who I am and what I want to share. Up until then, I was trying to fit myself into a space rather than free myself into the infinite space that simply exists, and is there for me to play in.
LUNA: Your music elucidates fluidity as a beautiful thing. It's really refreshing to see. Was this journey to being fearless in the ideas you explore, and being uninhibited as an artist, difficult?
BXB LOVE: It is cool to see that what I am sharing and the way I am choosing to explore and express my creativity is perceived as fearless. Despite your intentions, it's hard to know how others perceive you. So I appreciate you sharing that reflection! Though I do still experience fear, doubt, and uncertainty, especially when I get caught up how things may be perceived. When I’m tapped into the root of why I create and what I’m creating, I feel pretty invisible and fearless. But when I get distracted by external perceptions it can get disorienting. So I do my best to cultivate my life and personal practices in ways that allow me to stay grounded and focused on my intentions.
LUNA: What music have you been listening to recently?
BXB LOVE: I can honestly say that I love listening to this music, which is a really beautiful way to feel. Previously, I have felt embarrassed or nervous about my music, I guess using it almost as a channel for external validation. But I genuinely love this music, and listening to it is an experience I still thoroughly enjoy.
Beyond this project, I've been listening to a lot of meditation music and binaural beats. I find that it is sort of a blank slate, simply energetic frequencies without the influence of language.
I’ve also been listening to a lot of acoustic and instrumental music, that doesn’t have any lyrics in it because again, it has less of a directed energetic impact on me, it can float there in the background without channeling specific messages or ideas at me.
LUNA: Did any music inspire you while you were writing or producing?
BXB LOVE: So much music has inspired this project.. Queen, Prince, Kanye West, David Bowie, No Doubt and Gwen Stefani, Fleetwood Mac, Rihanna, Massive Attack, Janelle Monae, Nirvana.. The list goes on.
LUNA: What are you most looking forward to with the release of this mixtape, and in your journey as an artist?
BXB LOVE: I’m most looking forward to letting it sit with people, seeing how it resonates, learning the sorts of things people receive from it. I am grateful to have had the experience of creating all this music, and going through the journeys and lessons that have come with that. It's been a beautiful, hard, rewarding, disappointing, liberating, scary, wild adventure. Everything you would expect from life. There have been immense highs and deep lows, and it's all resulted in what you are hearing today. I couldn't have asked for it any other way, and am excited to see where this path is leading us all, what decisions it inspires us to make, the questions it raises, the healing it promotes, the potentials it calls in.
LUNA: Your music creates a space for vulnerability and openness of self. Is it surreal to know so many people connect to your music, your stories?
BXB LOVE: It is absolutely surreal to think about the number of people I am communicating and engaging with through this music! I think about that often. Sometimes it's overwhelming, to be responsible for that many strings of communication in the matrix of our reality. But the mode of communication is one centered around love, and as long as I continue to move along that path. I feel grateful to be able to connect with whoever answered the call of this music. May these sounds deliver the messages that each person needs to hear. I am grateful to be a mirror to your inner worlds. To reflect what you believe about yourself and the world around you. To reflect what you believe is possible.
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